THEME: Sowing Small Seeds

Objective: Students will CREATE artwork to express their understanding of “The Hymn of St. Francis of Assisi.” They will DEMONSTRATE an understanding of the seven goals of Laudato Si by making a presentation on one of them to the class. Through reading the Mission Story, the students will IDENTIFY how small seeds of action can have a big impact. Families will DEVELOP a plan to care for the earth.

PRAY with the words of Saint Francis written 800 years ago by WATCHING this video or by READING the prayer below.

Hymn of Saint Francis of Assisi (LS87)
Praised be you, my Lord, with all your creatures,
especially Sir Brother Sun, who is the day and through whom you give us light. And he is beautiful and radiant with great splendor; and bears a likeness of you, Most High.
Praised be you, my Lord, through Sister Moon and the stars, in heaven you formed them clear and precious and beautiful.
Praised be you, my Lord, through Brother Wind, and through the air, cloudy and serene, and every kind of weather through whom you give sustenance to your creatures.
Praised be you, my Lord, through Sister Water,
who is very useful and humble and precious and chaste.
Praised be you, my Lord, through Brother Fire, through whom you light the night, and he is beautiful, playful and robust and strong. AMEN

USE the words of Saint Francis to CREATE your own prayer through art. Think of where you experience God in creation and DRAW a picture, SCULPT some clay, or WRITE a poem by completing this sentence, Praise be you my Lord,… When you are done, share your art with others and send a picture of it to us at teachers@maryknoll.us

Without a livelihood, people often turn to illegal deforestation to survive. Community members told me they used to cut down the forest to make charcoal but learned how to grow seedlings and were happy to be planting new seeds and starting new life instead of cutting it down. I remember the joy of the children as they saw the frogs, lizards and birds return as the forest grew. I look forward to telling my students about my time as the nongovernmental representative of the Maryknoll Sisters, part of the Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns at the United Nations. I want the students to see how people like me, Sister Marvie L. Misolas, MM can one day be dragging through the mud working to grow seedlings and the next be at the United Nations sharing the importance of the role of all people to care for creation.

As I think about all of the lessons I plan to do with my students I am overwhelmed with pride and the knowledge that the Maryknoll family is working throughout the world with communities, partners and friends to care for creation. Seeds are going in the ground in Kenya to provide food and nutrients from a long drought. Missioners in the Amazon and Panama are teaching alternatives to deforestation and a cut and burn approach to agriculture. In Brazil, El Salvador, and throughout the world missioners are teaching and learning new ways to protect and cultivate creation alongsidede our friends and neighbors.

I close the door, and I am off, grateful to be doing something today as a Maryknoll Sister, teacher, and missioner to make God’s love visible in the world today. I recall Pope Francis’ words in Laudato Si that have inspired me to live this life, “The cry of the poor and the cry of the earth are the same,” I head toward school excited to share a message of hope with my students. I cannot wait to tell them, I believe we can turn this environmental crisis around. There’s hope precisely because God gives us the strength we need to save our common home. After I share the message with them, I am ready to roll up my sleeves to get to work with them growing both seeds and hope and we care for the planet.

With a partner ANSWER the following questions:

1. Sister Marvie is remembering all those that have been part of her life who taught her about caring for creation. Who is someone who has shown you how to appreciate and care for the earth? What did they teach you?
2. Who are the people you know that are taking positive steps today to plant the seeds for a better tomorrow and care for the earth today?
3. What are some seeds that you could sow in order to better care for creation?

READ the following scriptures. REFLECT on the questions.

Old Testament: Micah 6:6-8
Life of Jesus: Matthew 13:31-32
Christian Living: 1 Corinthians 3:6-9

REFLECT in a group, or in a journal on the following questions.

1. When it comes to the earth, are we treating it justly? How does the Spirit invite us to act with respect and humility towards creation?
2. Why did Jesus tell the parable of the Mustard Seed? Share an example of something that you experienced that started out small, but grew into something bigger?
3. What are the seeds that God is asking you to plant?

Ten years ago Pope Francis wrote us an official letter called “Laudato Si’”, translated as “Praise Be to You.” In the letter the Pope said, “All of us can cooperate as instruments of God for the care of creation, each according to his or her own culture, experience, involvements and talents”. (Laudato Si’ 14)

DRAW four columns on a piece of paper (If possible use a large paper and do activity in a large group). USE the following words and put them at the top of the column: Culture, Experience, Involvement, Talents; under each column brainstorm how each word inspires ways you can care for the environment. For example under the word involvement list ways you can be active in caring for our earth, i.e. recycle.

Laudato Si’ outlines seven goals:

1. Response to the Cry of Earth
2. Response to the Cry of the Poor
3. Ecological Economics
4. Simple Lifestyles
5. Ecological Education
6. Ecological Spirituality
7. Community Involvement and Participatory Action that will focus on our common journey 

Break into 7 small groups. Assign each group one of the 7 goals of Laudato Si’. Each group RESEARCH your assigned goal by reading the definitions on www.laudatosi.org goal’s page. If you have the time, READ Pope Francis’ full letter found on the Vatican website. Together DEVELOP a plan to make that goal a reality. PREPARE a short presentation for the group on your goal. Each group presents their goal. After all goals are presented WATCH the Vatican’s video on YouTube Care of our Common Home.

ANSWER the following questions:

1. What did you learn about the 7 goals?
2. How are the people in the video living these goals?
3. How could you and your peers live these goals? On a piece of paper or on your phone make a note that starts with the words, “Do Something”. LIST what you will do in the next week to practice one of these goals. If you have it on your phone, put a reminder so you don’t forget.

Pope Francis wrote us a letter to encourage and challenge us to care for creation. USE your voice and WRITE a letter to someone in leadership, for example: school or parish leadership, your local or national government representative. Include in the letter a concern you have for our environment, a request for some action on the leader’s part, and what you are currently doing to make a positive impact

Do something to change the lives of the people in southeastern Kenya. You can donate to a care of creation project for sustainable trees in the semi-arid area of Kibwezi in southeastern Kenya and a solar pump for a well. The Moringa Oleifera tree can provide a source of nutrition to community members, especially during the dry seasons, and the use of a solar pump will eliminate the need for fossil fuels to power the power. Visit Maryknollsociety.org website for more information.

SHARE with your family the seven goals from Laudato Si’. Have a conversation and DISCUSS what your family can do to care for creation. As a family MAKE a care for creation plan. This may be planting a garden or trees, cleaning trash up on the roadside, eating more vegetarian meals, and educating yourselves and others on environmental issues. Then do it, start small if need be. Throughout the summer and early fall have check-in times when you EVALUATE as a family about how things are going.